Sailing dropped from Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

SKUD 18 racing at the London 2012 Paralympics © IFDS

IPC announces final Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports programme

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will feature 22 sports, with badminton and taekwondo included for the first time.

At its meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday (31 January), the IPC Governing Board approved a further six sports for inclusion in the Games, adding to the 16 sports that were ratified and announced after its meeting in October 2014. A maximum of 23 sports could have been included for 2020.

The 22 sports that will be included in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are: athletics, archery, badminton, boccia, canoe, cycling, equestrian, football 5-a-side, goalball, judo, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

The two sports not included in Tokyo 2020 are football 7-a-side and sailing.

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President, said: "I would like to thank all 24 sports for applying for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and pass on my congratulations to the 22 sports that have been approved by the IPC Governing Board. In particular, I'd like to pay testament to the sports of badminton and taekwondo for the work they have undertaken in securing their place at a Paralympic Games for the first time.

"To reach this decision, the IPC undertook the most extensive and rigorous review process ever of all the sports which started in November 2013.

"All were assessed against the same criteria and our aim all along has been to ensure that the final Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports programme is fresh and features the best para-sports possible.

"The Board's final decision was not an easy one and, after much debate, we decided not to include two sports – football 7-a-side and sailing – from the Tokyo 2020 programme for the same reason. Both did not fulfil the IPC Handbook's minimum criteria for worldwide reach."

The IPC Handbook states only team sports widely and regularly practised in a minimum of 24 countries and three IPC regions will be considered for inclusion in the Paralympic Games and for individual sports a minimum of 32 countries in three IPC regions.

Sir Philip Craven added: "Although the IPC Governing Board approved the inclusion of cycling, it did express serious reservations regarding the sustainability of the track cycling discipline.

"While a decision on the Tokyo 2020 medal events programme will not be made until 2017, the Board encourages the UCI to work towards increasing both the number of high-performance track cyclists and the number of opportunities for them to compete at an international level."

Hidetoshi Fujisawa, Tokyo 2020 Executive Director of Communications and Engagement, said: "Tokyo 2020 welcomes the announcement made by the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board on 31 January regarding the 22 sports to be included in the sports programme for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

"This final line-up of sports brings us a step closer to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and will help the Organising Committee to further build momentum and excitement in Tokyo, Japan and throughout the entire world."

Twenty four sports were eligible to apply for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Following the submission of applications from the eligible sports, the IPC management team undertook a rigorous assessment of all applications. Sports were assessed for worldwide participation in terms of countries and continents, where the sport is regularly practiced, quadrennial competition programme, athlete classification, anti-doping programme, rules and regulations, and initiatives undertaken to make their sport more attractive.

On completion of the review process, the IPC management team made recommendations to the IPC Governing Board ahead of their October 2014 meeting in Berlin, Germany, where 16 sports were approved for inclusion.

The eight sports that were not approved at October's meeting were asked to provide additional information to the IPC addressing issues identified in their applications. This information was reviewed and a further analysis provided to the IPC Governing Board ahead of this week's meeting.

The IPC Governing Board then decided which of the eight remaining sports should be included in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which will be held from 25 August - 6 September 2020.

Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960, the Paralympic Games have continued to grow in size and stature. The first Games featured 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in eight sports - archery, athletics, dartchery, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball.

At London 2012, the Games involved a record 4,237 athletes from 164 countries who took part in 503 medal events across 20 sports. A cumulated global audience of 3.8 billion watched the Games, whilst 2.78 million tickets were sold, making the Paralympics the third-biggest sporting event in the world behind the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.

In 2010, para-badminton, intellectually impaired basketball, para-golf, powerchair football and para-taekwondo all applied to be part of the Rio 2016 Paralympic sports programme but were unsuccessful with the Governing Board instead choosing applications from para-canoe and para-triathlon.

Australian Sailing Team statement on Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports decision to remove sailing from the 2020 Paralympic Games programme

International Paralympic Committee removes sailing from the 2020 Paralympic Games programme Yachting Australia – Australian Sailing Team statement on Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports decision

The International Paralympic Committee has determined the sporting programme for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with Sailing and 7-a-side football having been removed from the programme. The decision was published over the weekend. The full IPC press release is here

Yachting Australia and the Australian Paralympic Committee have expressed their extreme disappointment about the decision to remove sailing from the sporting program at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The news is an enormous disappointment for the sport of disabled sailing worldwide and for the Australian Sailing Team and Squad athletes who are working hard, not only towards Rio 2016, but also towards Tokyo 2020.

Yachting Australia President Matt Allen said, "The decision to take sailing out of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games has left us stunned. We will consult with our ISAF colleagues to support the case for sailing and for all avenues to be explored for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and beyond. We have spoken with the Australian Paralympic Committee who have offered their support and sought clarity on the decision from the International Paralympic Committee", added Matt.

This is a loss to Paralympic sport as a whole as sailing provides unique opportunities for athletes with a disability to get involved with and participate in high performance sport and to compete on a world-class and paralympic level. Para-sailing caters for athletes with a wide range of physical impairments including those with high level disabilities such as quadriplegia, allowing sailors to steer and control boats using just a finger, toe or breath.

Australian Paralympic Committee President Glenn Tasker said: "Like our Yachting Australia and Australian Sailing Team colleagues, we are worried that this decision will have serious implications for the sport at all levels. But the APC remains fully committed to the Australian Paralympic sailing program and its athletes, and we are currently seeking more details from the International Paralympic Committee to gain a greater understanding of the avenues which may exist for the sport to be reintroduced in 2020 or at a later date."

Australian Sailing has already qualified all Paralympic boats for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and only on the weekend, Paralympic gold medallists and IFDS World Champions Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch won their second consecutive gold medal at the Sailing World Cup in Miami.

"I, like the rest of the sailing community, was completely stunned by the news that sailing has been excluded from the 2020 Paralympic Games, Paralympic silver (2008) and gold medallist (2012) Daniel Fitzgibbon said from Miami.

"I have already visited Tokyo and inspected the sailing venue as have we invested considerable time and money in assets to be used for these games, so to say it took me by surprise would be an understatement."

"Sailing is the only Paralympic sport that allows quadriplegics, such as myself, to compete against much more able athletes on an even and fair platform. And to take this opportunity away from future athletes in my situation, or worse, is a very disappointing decision."

Yachting Australia will be discussing the situation with ISAF Disabled Sailing Committee as well as with the Australian Paralympic Committee over the upcoming weeks.

In the meantime we will continue to work diligently with our Paralympic athletes, supporting them towards the IFDS World Championships at the end of the year in Melbourne as well as on their road to Rio 2016.

US Sailing Statement On Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Sailing IPC Decision

"Yesterday's news about Paralympic sailing being dropped from the slate of sports at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games is highly disappointing. Our sport attracts a diverse group of disabled athletes across the world, as demonstrated by the three fleets of sailors from 14 countries competing in Miami last week at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami. US Sailing will join ISAF, IFDS and the national governing bodies of our fellow Paralympic sailing nations to lead an appeal of this decision in the fight for reinstatement of Paralympic sailing at the Tokyo 2020 Games." - Tom Hubbell, President of US Sailing.

Duncan Souster, CEO of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, a charity which promotes the integration of people of all physical abilities through sailing adventures, said:

"We are hugely disappointed with this decision from the International Paralympic Committee. Sailing offers a life-changing outlet for people with a wide range of disabilities, inspiring them to lead more independent lives. Since Great Britain won the first Paralympic Sailing gold medal in 1996, the Games has been a standard bearer for the promotion of sailing among disabled people.

"Sailing is more than an Olympic sport, it demonstrates that disabled people can take on the kinds of challenges that would inspire anyone. To cull it from the Games is pouring a cold bucket of water on that inspiration.

"The decision undermines the hard work of many organisations and charities like the Jubilee Sailing Trust that work to provide life-enhancing adventures for disabled people through sailing. I am sure that the leaders of the International Sailing Federation will be doing everything they can to appeal this decision and we will do all we can to support them."

BMF statement on Tokyo 2020 Paralympic sports decision

The British Marine Federation (BMF) was disappointed to learn of the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision not to include sailing in the sporting programme for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The Olympics and Paralympics have provided a successful platform for showcasing British talent and increasing participation. Following sailing success at the 2012 London Games the UK witnessed a 10% increase in the number of people taking up sailing*. The BMF is very concerned at the loss of such a powerful tool for raising the profile of British sailing and other boating activities. In addition it is disappointed at the loss of such a unique platform for inspiring those with disabilities to take up the sport of sailing.

Therefore the BMF offers its support to the Royal Yacht Association (RYA), the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and other national organisations in their discussions to seek further recourse.

Alongside sailing, the IPC have removed 7-a-side football from the 2020 Paralympic Games programme.